90% of Lake Cumberland (KY) ramps to be unusable

[SuperJETT]

This is a big deal, they mentioned tonight on the news that the new summer water level will be 43 feet below the tree line.

If the dam were to break, look out Nashville!



FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Fearing a dam break that could cause catastrophic flooding in Kentucky and Tennessee, the Army Corps of Engineers began lowering the water level on Lake Cumberland on Monday.

The measure was aimed at reducing pressure on the weakened 240-foot-high dam, said Lt. Col. Steven J. Roemhildt, commander of the Corps of Engineers' Nashville office.


"We must take this emergency action to reduce risk to the public and to the dam itself," he said in a statement.

If the Wolf Creek Dam, which is nearly a mile long, were to break, flooding in communities downstream along the Cumberland River could kill people and cause an estimated $3.4 billion in damage, Roemhildt said. Cities along the Cumberland include Nashville, Tenn., whose metro area contains 1.4 million people.

Corps spokesman Bill Peoples said failure of the dam was not imminent. But he said people should have evacuation plans ready in Nashville and other downstream communities, including Burkesville in Kentucky and Celina, Carthage, Clarksville, Gallatin and Hendersonville in Tennessee.

Nashville officials said that they have a plan in place for any flooding but that any threat would be minimized once the lake's level is lowered.

"We have re-reviewed some of the plan and addressed specific things that may need to be included if there's a breach in the dam," said Amanda Sluss, a spokeswoman for the city Office of Emergency Management.

The dam, which has a concrete core surrounded by earth, was built near Jamestown in the early 1950s. The lake it holds back was created as part of a federal plan to control floods along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers.

Two recent studies raised questions about the dam's integrity, Roemhildt said.

Water has been seeping under the dam and eroding the limestone on which the concrete rests, he said. He said crews were pumping grout into the ground to counter the erosion.

Reducing the water level could have a major ecological and economic effect as well. Roemhildt said people can expect fish kills because of a rise in water temperature, and boats at marinas could be left high and dry.

Kentucky Commerce Secretary George Ward said as many as 90 percent of the launching ramps will be unusable because they won't reach the water's surface.

Lake Cumberland, about 100 miles southeast of Louisville and one of the nation's largest freshwater reservoirs, is a popular destination for boaters. A thriving houseboat industry has sprung up around the lake, which has more than 1,000 miles of shoreline.

At a marina near Russell Springs, workers spent Monday moving million-dollar houseboats to moorings where they can stay afloat after the water recedes.

"We're kind of at a loss," said Estelee Slusser, who operates the Alligator Dock No. 1 marina. "It has just happened so quickly. We really don't know what to do."

The Army Corps notified local officials and business owners before making the plan public Monday. Slusser said she learned of it Friday.

"We spent the whole day yesterday on the phone with customers, trying to calm them down," she said.

[Moondance]

Hey, somebody stick their thumb in the hole of the dam that is :biggthumpup:

[keefer]

Man that would make some kind of wave huh? I be even I could pull my first and last backy of that:skull2:. That is going to suck for all the people up there. I bet there will be quite a few people who end up with a boat in the mud if they are going to drop it quickly. Now would be a good time to be in the drydocking busininess.

[Speedfreak]

Can you amagine the waterfall after the water drops another 30 feet... WOW that would be amazing.... Kinda makes me want to borrow a couch for a weekend and go on a trip.. I still have all my maps from the Jam.. LOL

[djkorn1]

Those industries that depend on that lake are screwed...

[accbr]

It's a big lake, but 43 feet below the trees is alot. The Alligator docks I usually go too won't have any ramps that reach the water. They just added about 100 slips there so I don't know what they're gonna do with the boats. Alligator 1 is in a shallow part of the lake already. There's a few docks up in the river below Cumberland falls that will be dry. This will make the whitewater run below the falls longer, but there will have to be alot of rain to make it runnable. I guess more people will be going to Laurel Lake. This sucks.

[accbr]

Can you amagine the waterfall after the water drops another 30 feet... WOW that would be amazing.... Kinda makes me want to borrow a couch for a weekend and go on a trip.. I still have all my maps from the Jam.. LOL

The water at 76 falls in the summer is only about 40 feet deep, so you probably won't be able to get to them unless your on a jet ski.

[Speedfreak]

The water at 76 falls in the summer is only about 40 feet deep, so you probably won't be able to get to them unless your on a jet ski.

Yea but if they drop it 43 feet below the tree line then that is only like 20 or 25 feet from normal summer pool isn't it??? The last time I was there the water was quite a ways from the tree line.

[accbr]

Summer pool is just a couple feet below the trees. They drop it about 30 feet for the winter. Starts coming up in May, and goes back down in September. They're leaving just enough water so they can still make power at the dam. Unless there is a really bad drought they can't lower it more that 50 feet because of all the water that is fed into it. There's a houseboat that is beached at the falls right now. Guess the owner is screwed.

http://lakecumberland.com/stats.php

[WFO Speedracer]

Summer pool is just a couple feet below the trees. They drop it about 30 feet for the winter. Starts coming up in May, and goes back down in September. They're leaving just enough water so they can still make power at the dam. Unless there is a really bad drought they can't lower it more that 50 feet because of all the water that is fed into it. There's a houseboat that is beached at the falls right now. Guess the owner is screwed.

http://lakecumberland.com/stats.php

No actually now it really is a HOUSEboat.

[accbr]

Yep. Just level it out, and open a bar. He'd make a fortune.

disclaimer : I don't condone drinking on the water, but if you've ever been to 76 falls on a holiday weekend you'd understand. :sneaky:

[Boris]

disclaimer : I don't condone drinking on the water, but if you've ever been to 76 falls on a holiday weekend you'd understand. :sneaky:

What if the water isn't there ?
Kind of like "there is no spoon" :biggthumpup:

[Speedfreak]

The last time I was there it was mid may and the water was quite a ways from the trees so that would explain it.

About the house boat I guess I will be able to see it if I make a trip of it this summer... LOL

[RiverRat]

This is a catastrophe to the marine environment of that region and subsequently the surrounding wildlife.

[accbr]

What if the water isn't there ?
Kind of like "there is no spoon" :biggthumpup:

You'll have to park and walk to the bar. :biggthumpup: They'll be a bunch of drunks stumbling around in the mud. I'll have to get my maps out and see how deep the water is in the channel leading to the falls. I know the water below the falls is only around 40 feet deep. I know there's some islands that will pop up in the middle of the lake.


This is a catastrophe to the marine environment of that region and subsequently the surrounding wildlife.

Cumberland is a popular lake for striper fishing. There's alot of outfitters around there that will be hurt by this. The campground right below the dam is usually booked up for the summer. Trout fishing below the dam won't be the same if they have to keep the flood gates open more.

[Shonuff]

When are you people going to learn how to build a dam?

[LisaLisa]

Wow - this is one of the most beautiful places on the face of the earth I've ever ridden. Sorry to hear this.

[Rickster]

I have a beach cart for sale for the right price. Any Lake Cumberland riders interested?:sneaky:

[accbr]

When are you people going to learn how to build a dam?


Probably after this one breaks. :biggrin: There's some senators and representatives that think it would be better to just build another one 'upstream' I guess they've never been to the lake, since the current dam isn't really the end of the lake. They'd have to build two dams to block off both of the channels that flow towards the dam. Then you'd have two lakes.

[sjweber]

Our family has a cabin down there. This sucks. The ramp they use is not going to even come close to the water. I haven't talked to them yet but it will be interesting to see what they do.

[Speedfreak]

There's some senators and representatives that think it would be better to just build another one 'upstream'


Wouldn't it be better to just build another right beyond the current dam and then remove most of the existing dam??

The lake wouldn't change the power plant and all doesn't need to be moved just divert some water... WOW what an idea. I hate the "thinkers" that run this country.

[SuperJETT]

Wouldn't it be better to just build another right beyond the current dam and then remove most of the existing dam??

The lake wouldn't change the power plant and all doesn't need to be moved just divert some water... WOW what an idea. I hate the "thinkers" that run this country.

Wolf Creek Dam (Lake Cumberland):

http://www.water.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/CDFAB909-6C05-43EB-8BDF-7248DD4BA716/0/WRWolfCreek.jpg

[Mark44]

O damn that’s repairable with epoxy resin...........
Mark44

[SuperJETT]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Cumberland

Normal summer pool is 723 feet (above sea level), they are dropping it to 680 feet which is just above the minimum level to generate power of 673 feet.

The lowest level recorded since it was built was 675 feet in 1981, so this will be right about there.

On the news today they said only 8 of the 45 ramps/marinas will be usable.

[Big Kahuna]

any idea when repairs would be complete?

[accbr]

Supposed to take 7 years, and they'll decide each year how much water they'll leave in the lake. There's another channel that goes away from the dam that's not in the picture. I'd like to see them build two dams 'upstream' from this one. The ramp at the dam is the one they use to put all the $250,000 to $1,000,000 house boats in the water, so they won't have that one shutdown.

[SuziQ]

Wouldn't it be better to just build another right beyond the current dam and then remove most of the existing dam??

The lake wouldn't change the power plant and all doesn't need to be moved just divert some water... WOW what an idea. I hate the "thinkers" that run this country.

Although costs, probably prudent seeing how the attached link might explain some of the prob. Would be bad to have another New Madrid Fault shake like in 1811 & 1812 (and it's due). If it was built 50 yrs ago, we've come a long way since then in our capabilities with regards to earthquakes.

http://www.eas.slu.edu/Earthquake_Center/NM/Images/seismap.html

[SuziQ]

Here's more:

http://hsv.com/genlintr/newmadrd/

[2002zxi]

haha, you said KY

[SuperJETT]

haha, you said KY

Being from Kentucky, I've never heard that joke before, ever, haha!!!!:Banane01::Banane01::Banane01:

[2002zxi]

Being from Kentucky, I've never heard that joke before, ever, haha!!!!:Banane01::Banane01::Banane01:

fuggit, I gave it all I had for that one.:purr:

[accbr]

Here's some more pics of the other side of the dam. I think they're gonna need a few more shovels.

http://www.lakecumberland.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=11558

[Rahl]

use duct tape to fix it. it fixxes everything.

[SuperJETT]

use duct tape to fix it. it fixxes everything.

It's in Kentucky, don't you think we tried that already? Next up is baling wire.

[2002zxi]

you could all move and live on lake of the ozarks. There's no boat traffic at LOTO

[accbr]

It's in Kentucky, don't you think we tried that already? Next up is baling wire.

Don't forget about Bondo.

[SuperJETT]

Party Cove at Lake Cumberland. Pics from http://www.lakecumberland.com/forum/

http://www.lakecumberland.com/forum/viewthread.php?action=attachment&tid=11845&pid=138569

http://www.lakecumberland.com/forum/viewthread.php?action=attachment&tid=11845&pid=138562

http://www.lakecumberland.com/forum/viewthread.php?action=attachment&tid=11845&pid=138559

[Mark44]

Looks like you will be hiking in now. I would hate to see Lake of the Ozarks party cove like that no telling what they would find in there. :bigeyes:

Mark44

[SuperJETT]

Someone took a bunch of aerial shots, here they are:
http://static.cnhi.zope.net/flashpromo/somersetkentucky/flashpromo/slideshow/tuttlephotos/JohnTuttle.swf

[sjweber]

here are some pictures my father-n-law took this weekend. The cabin is located in Russell Springs ky. He said the pictures don't do it justice.

http://www.welovewater.com/gallery/gallery.asp?gallery=035%20lake%20cumberland%202007&currentpage=1

[RiverRat]

WOW !! :bigeyes: Scratch Lake Cumberland off the list of ride spots this year.

[Fearlessnuts]

holy crap how deep is the lake now?

[SuperJETT]

I actually want to take a ride down there now just to say I did and see how different the place is.

[kingnothing3]

I actually want to take a ride down there now just to say I did and see how different the place is.

Its probley so different you wont recognize it. We normally go on a houseboat trip here every year. guess we are gonna have to go to daleshollow or something

[accbr]

here are some pictures my father-n-law took this weekend. The cabin is located in Russell Springs ky. He said the pictures don't do it justice.

http://www.welovewater.com/gallery/gallery.asp?gallery=035%20lake%20cumberland%202007&currentpage=1


That's looks like it's up in the Caney creek channel. I recognize that ramp and dock. We used to put in at Wolf Creek, and camp in the coves close to there.

Me and my dad are going to try to go over there in a few weeks to fish. Looks like I'll just need to take a net, and drag it around.

[SuperJETT]

Its probley so different you wont recognize it. We normally go on a houseboat trip here every year. guess we are gonna have to go to daleshollow or something

Nah, you can go, there is actually a ton of shoreline will, just a few places you can't get to. Plus they are extending just about all of the ramps. www.lakecumberland.com has good updates.

[accbr]

The pics sjweber posted are in one of the smaller channels too. It's the channel on this map listed as Caney Fork.

http://lakecumberland.com/maps/colormap.html

There will still be plenty of water there. Some of the more popular coves for fishing will be a little shallow or dry. They just have to get the ramps extended, so people can get their boats in the water. I'm wanting to go diving there some more this summer, since I'll be able to get to stuff I couldn't before. There's an old dam that was in about 120' of water, but now it's reachable on regular air.

[accbr]

The first two pics in this gallery show good before and after pics of 76 falls.

http://www.heraldleaderphoto.com/featuredgalleries/featuredgalleriesindex.html

[sjweber]

The pics sjweber posted are in one of the smaller channels too. It's the channel on this map listed as Caney Fork.

http://lakecumberland.com/maps/colormap.html

There will still be plenty of water there. Some of the more popular coves for fishing will be a little shallow or dry. They just have to get the ramps extended, so people can get their boats in the water. I'm wanting to go diving there some more this summer, since I'll be able to get to stuff I couldn't before. There's an old dam that was in about 120' of water, but now it's reachable on regular air.

Yeah, My father and law said he has seen it this low before. The lake is so massive there will be plenty of water to play on. I just hope people do get hung up on things that weren't there before, like trees and cars and people and stuff. haha Yeah I think we can still use the ramp. It was not as bad as I thought it would look. They said at one of the local stores that they have already lost about 50% of their recreation income just with the drop as of now.

[Mark44]

Any new developments on this looks like a good time to repair the ramps.

Mark44

[djkorn1]

HOLY CRAP:bigeyes: Those pics are insane!!!

The first two pics in this gallery show good before and after pics of 76 falls.

http://www.heraldleaderphoto.com/featuredgalleries/featuredgalleriesindex.html

[accbr]

Somebody photoshopped two of the pics together.

[accbr]

Alot of the ramps are suppoed to be done before the 'start of the summer season'. I don't know when they think the start of summer is though. Some of the marinas are still taking bids from contractors to fix the ramps.

http://www.lakecumberland.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=12539&page=1#pid148033

[Mike W]

This looks like what happend to all the lakes in Keystone Heights, FL close where I live. I feel for those people who this effects. Really sad...

[RiverRat]

should warm up a little faster this year :biggthumpup: